“Nurse Jackie”: TV Recap

A fortune cookie with a handwritten note that reads, “You’re pretty when you’re tired” may be one of the sweetest gifts ever. Eddie handed it to Jackie on the overnight shift, adding still more evidence that he’s good for more than just dispensing Vicodin and Percocet. Eddie gets it. He lives the grueling hospital life too, and as much as Jackie’s husband, Kevin, is great with the girls and the backrubs, he’s just not a part of Jackie’s work world.

The Peyton household continued to be caught up with Grace’s anxiety issues. And as Grace was melting down over minor slights and frustrations, another 10-year girl came into Jackie’s ER, accompanying her gravely ill mother. Stephanie, wise and sad beyond her years, has been caring for her seriously ill mother, keeping meticulous blood pressure records, all the while trying to get her homework done. Jackie recognized a kindred, caregiving spirit, and loaded Stephanie up with drugs for her mom and her cell phone number to call day or night if she needed help.

Mrs. Akalitus, the officious ER official, found a TASER gun on the floor and while railing against staff carelessness, proceeded to accidentally “tase” herself into convulsions in the elevator. Ha.Ha. What a long way down for Anna Deavere Smith from playing Jed Bartlett’s national security advisor on “The West Wing.” Her role as the administrative foil is one of the few false notes in the show. But she did provide the setup for a great line, as she lay in a hospital bed with a sheet pulled up over her face and her feet sticking out: “Mrs.Akalitus? I know you’re in there,” Jackie said. “I can spot a pair of Easy Spirit career collections at 20 paces.”

In a scene that was as marvelous as it was incongruous, O’Hara took Zoey to dinner at a fancy restaurant after Jackie begged off. “Small fork—work from the outside in,” O’Hara advised as our favorite nursing student sat there looking baffled. And when a snooty patron walked by with a disapproving glance at Zoey’s pink floral nursing garb, O’Hara explained: “Make a Wish Foundation.” Only Zoey would be bold enough – and clueless enough — to try to psychoanalyze O’Hara, venturing: “I think it’s interesting that you use humor to cover up your feelings. Somebody in your past must have really hurt you ..”

O’Hara cut her off with a look that could do a quadruple bypass without anesthesia. “Next subject!”

“Well, my dad’s in prison for manslaughter,” Zoey offered..

“Fabulous! Go on.. ” a much-relieved O’Hara said.

In other subplots, one gay nurse (the lovesick Thor) continued to stalk the other (Mo-Mo); Dr. Cooper struck up an awkward friendship with Eddie, much to Jackie’s horror, and Jackie helped a speechless stroke victim who could only move one hand tell his insufferable family to go to hell. Inspired by Stephanie’s spelling flash cards, Jackie scribbled sample phrases on a bunch of note cards and handed them to the patient. The only ones he didn’t drop said “Shut the F—Up” and “Seriously.”

The night shift over, and Eddie hanging out with Coop, Jackie went home to a backrub from Kevin and a phone call from Stephanie, asking what to do about her mother’s pain. Jackie talked her through splitting a Percocet and downing it with juice – repeating all the steps herself. “She’ll be fine,” Jackie said, trying to convince herself too.